Films have been utilized in a variety of articles as a means of providing a barrier to the passage of physical matter. As an example films have been utilized as a barrier layer in rain wear, diapers and incontinence garments, feminine hygiene products, protective apparel and other articles. Barrier films are typically employed within such articles to prevent the passage of physical matter such as, for example, water, bodily exudates, blood, toxic materials, pathogens, etc. Due to the nature of such articles the usefulness and reliability of the same is related to the articles ability to provide the desired barrier properties. Thus, it follows that loss of the barrier properties through film defects, e.g. pin holes or tears, often destroys the usefulness of the entire article. Providing reliable barrier properties is of even greater importance in infection control products and protective apparel since these articles seek to prevent potentially dangerous matter such as blood borne pathogens or toxic agents from coming in to direct physical contact with the wearer.
However, in addition to providing the desired barrier function, since these articles are often worn or handled it is also desirable that the article have a pleasing touch or "hand." Desirably the film has a drape and feel similar to that of cloth or other apparel fabrics. Providing a film capable of exhibiting excellent barrier properties while likewise having good drape and hand has proven difficult. Thus, there exists a need for economically produced films having improved visual and/or tactile properties which also exhibit and retain excellent barrier properties.
In the past film and/or film laminates have been processed with heated patterned rolls in order to create embossed patterns therein. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,144 to Bustin recognizes the difficulty in embossing thin films to create a "hole-free" film and teaches use of matching patterned rolls driven at the same circumferential speed to emboss polyethylene films having a thickness less than 0.025 mm. Alternatively, heated patterned rolls have been extensively used to aperture films or other materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,978 to Dannheim et al. teaches embossing and aperturing a film using a series of patterned rolls. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,779 to Levy et al. teaches the use of one or more heated patterned calendar rolls to create fused bonded areas which rupture, i.e. form apertures, upon stretching of the fabric. As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,764 to Alikhan teaches pattern bonding a film/nonwoven laminate using two patterned bonding rolls rotating at different circumferential speeds in order to enhance formation of apertures within the film. However, despite the foregoing, it has been found that use of counter-rotating bonding rolls rotating at different circumferential speeds can be utilized to achieve a film having an improved texture or hand without forming apertures or overly weakened areas of the film, that is to say without destroying the barrier properties of the film.